National Silver Dollar Round Table honors supporters
The National Silver Dollar Round Table held its 41st annual banquet in Schaumburg, Illinois, providing members a chance to gather following a busy day at the nearby Central States Numismatic Society convention. The awards ceremony took place at Morton’s, featuring food, fun and recognition.
NSDR president Don Rinkor opened the gathering with remarks that expressed the atmosphere of the evening. “We are very fortunate to have the opportunity come together and celebrate the people who do so much,” he said. “We are in a very strong market, so this is not really the time to complain. Gold is hitting all-time highs and that’s making us all feel better. It’s a good time to gather together as friends.” It was also noted that the silver dollar portion of the market remains a key driver in numismatic interest.
The current board of directors and a number of past presidents were recognized, and NSDR’s treasurer since 2013, Don Ketterling, provided the obligatory financial report.
As part of its education initiative, the National Silver Dollar Round Table offered prizes in an essay contest. Essays had to be 300 to 500 words in length and submitted by March 1 to be eligible.
Winners of the top three prizes were announced by NSDR secretary Diana Wuller. A $250 U.S. Savings Bond was awarded to New Jersey’s Ross Koenig for third place, for his essay on the evolution of coin grading and possible AI involvement. Second place and a $500 U.S. Savings Bond was awarded to Yitzchoc Nebenzahl for an essay on the 1885 Trade dollar. The top prize was won by Samuel Sternberg of New York for the work “The Fabulous 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar.” Sternberg receives a one-week scholarship to the ANA Summer Seminar.
Organizational awards included appreciation citations for members who have provided outstanding support. Winners included Jeff Wuller, Diana Wuller and Mike Rinkor for his efforts to upgrade the organization’s website.
The announcement of the organization’s “Man of the Year” award involved well-intentioned deception. The recipient was Diana Wuller, who was unaware of the award prior to the announcement, despite her role in securing the trophies for the presentation. Before the announcement, Diana was convinced the award was going to someone else, but grew suspicious as Don Rinkor started describing the honoree. Husband Jeff switched the name plaque on the trophy prior to its presentation to her, completing the successful effort to maintain the surprise.
The John Highfill Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by Ketterling, who cited esteemed past recipients and their achievements. Ketterling stressed the importance of the “road warriors” that help drive numismatics with their commitment to “being there all the time. Without these people, there would be a big hole in the business,” he noted.
The winner was Texas dealer Coleman Foster, who said “I’m having a dream,” as he approached the podium. Foster was a previous winner of the organization’s Man of the Year.
The National Silver Dollar Round Table was founded by John Highfill in 1982. Membership information is available at https://nsdr.org/become-a-member.
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